Most people who own a dog love them dearly and want to take the best care of them possible. But there are always techniques that you can use to improve and become better at caring for your canine. These are the things that we are going to be talking about in this article. Hopefully, by the end, you will come away with a renewed sense of passion, ready to give your dog an even better life than the one they have already.

Be happier, live longer, and spend more time outdoors. Those are goals we can all aspire to, so why not get started today? Here are 5 activities you can do with your dog that can transform you–body, mind, and soul, from Rover.com.

Run

There’s no better way to kick-start your running habit than to bring your dog along. Whether you’re a former track star or you avoid sprints at all costs, forming the habit with your pup in tow has endless upsides.

Having a dog as a pet is a fun, amazing, and enlightening experience. A dog can quickly become your strongest defender, your favorite cuddly toy, and your best companion, sometimes practically overnight, which is why they make amazing pets for huge families and those living alone. However, there is a difference between simply having a dog and being a responsible dog owner. If you want to ensure that you’re the latter, keep reading.

Do Train Your Dog:

Some people get a dog on a whim and don’t take into account the amount of work that goes into training your new best friend. If you don’t train your dog, they can make your life a noisy and messy living nightmare. Untrained dogs are hard to walk, pee everywhere, chew everything, and are generally difficult to live with. It will be funny at first, but your patience will quickly wear thin. If you don’t know where to start, then attend some dog training classes.

Don’t Leave Them For Ages:

Dogs, like humans, get lonely if they’re left alone for too long. If you work all day every day, then a dog really doesn’t fit your lifestyle, as they require much more attention than a couple of hours in the evening. One thing you should never do is leave your dog in a car, no matter for how long and no matter the circumstances, especially on a hot day.

Do Get Your Dog Microchipped:

In the UK it is now a legal requirement for all dogs to be microchipped. The same can’t be said for The U.S, but microchipping is just as important here. Microchipping your dog (and ensuring that you keep your details up to date) will mean that, if your dog ever managed to get away from you, you would have a much higher chance of being reunited with them. A collar and tag with your name, phone number, and address is also a sensible idea.

Don’t Leave Their Mess:

There is nothing more disgusting than a sidewalk covered in dog mess, so why would you leave your dog’s mess on the sidewalk? Whenever you walk your dog, remember to take bags with you, and clean up after your dog if and when they foul.

Do Get Pet Insurance:

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Most people view pet insurance as unnecessary, especially if they have a dog that isn’t prone to too many illnesses and ailments. However, you should remember that things can always go wrong, and there may come a time that your dog really needs to visit the vets. Without pet insurance, even a short visit can get quite costly, so if they need medication, or even surgery, you’re looking at hundreds or even thousands of dollars.

Don’t Let Them Roam Free:

One of the first things that you should know about owning a dog is that they need a lot of exercise, especially if they’re a large breed. However, when you take your dog for a walk, you need to actually walk them, you can’t just let them roam wherever they like. They could be the best-behaved dog on the planet, but that doesn’t mean that they won’t ever run into the road or eat something that they shouldn’t. Keeping your dog close keeps them safe.

Do Flea And Worm Them:

You need to ensure that you are fleaing and worming your dog regularly, and when you’re supposed to. You can either order this treatment offline, buy it from your vets, or even have your vets administer it themselves. Your pet insurance might cover this treatment, so be sure to read through the terms and conditions thoroughly. If you’re administering the treatment yourself, you might find that your dog doesn’t really like the worming tablet. If this is the case, the VetIQ pet pill treat will make your life a whole lot easier.

Don’t Let Them Jump Up People:

Some people don’t like dogs; It’s a sad fact, but it’s true. Some people have no reason for this, but others are scared of them. For this reason, you should never let your dog jump up people, especially not strangers. Not only can it get annoying, but your dog could also hurt them by accident, or absolutely terrify them, despite how adorable and cuddly your dog may look to you.

Do Groom Them Regularly:

You wouldn’t go months without having a shower, so why would you wait months in between bathing your dog? It’s usually recommended that you wash your dog about once a month, but, of course, sometimes you will need to wash them more than this. Some dogs also require a lot more grooming than others and need to have their fur cut by professional dog groomers regularly.

Don’t Approach Other Dogs:

Like with people, not all dogs like other dogs. Some dogs are frightened of other ones, particularly larger breeds, and others want to protect you, so don’t want other dogs near you. When you’re out and about with your four-legged friend, never approach another dog with yours without asking first. If you do, you could risk a fight breaking out, which is something, I imagine, you would prefer to avoid.

Do Take Them To The Vets:

Your dog needs to be getting regular check-ups with a vet, especially if they’re getting on in life. Your vet will be able to advise you on lots of different dog-related things and will be the best person to identify if your dog is unwell or injured. Obesity is a huge problem in dogs, so your vet will also keep an eye on your dog’s weight, and ensure that you’re not feeding them too many treats.

Dogs are a lot of fun and really are man’s best friend. However, they also require a lot of attention and a lot of work is required to get them trained and keep them exercised. You should always think things through properly before deciding whether or not a dog is for you. If you think that they are, then great, you’re going to have lots of fun.

Many people at this time of year decide to gift their loved ones with a new puppy or dog. While this is an incredible gift to give someone, the thought of caring for the dog and whether they are going to be able to give the dog the life it deserves often slips their mind because of the thought of their loved ones opening their puppy. If you’re considering buying a puppy or a dog for your loved ones this year, then be sure to read this first to see if you would be providing the dog with the life it should have.

Think about work schedules:

The main thing that slips everybody’s minds when it comes to getting a dog is their work schedules. While you have to go to work to earn money to survive on, is it really fair to leave the dog unattended at home alone? Dogs can be left for short periods of time as long as they are left with food and water easily accessed by them, but if you’re working constant long shifts and not returning until the end of the day, your dog could not only become bored but will need to use the bathroom and also potentially hurt themselves by playing with things that they shouldn’t. It’s no secret that dogs can open cupboards and doors, and you’ve more than likely seen the videos online of owners coming home to their dogs mess all over their home.

So before even considering getting a dog, at least think about your work schedule and whether it would be fair on the dog to leave it for the amount of time you would have to. Unless of course, you have a trusted family member or friend who would be happy to take care of the dog while you’re at work.

Healthcare:

Another thing that many people overlook before buying a dog is their healthcare. Dogs become ill just as easily as humans do and unfortunately, the cost of vet bills is on the increase. If you’re buying a female dog, you might also want the dog to be spayed so that there’s no risk of the dog getting pregnant, and that isn’t cheap alone.

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One thing you also have to think about is the treatment of fleas on your dog. Fleas can be contracted from anywhere, even somewhere as simple as the garden, so it’s important to regularly treat your dog for fleas. Advecta flea treatment offer monthly flea treatment for your dog to ensure there’s no chance of them catching them.

What kind of food do they need:

Depending on what kind of breed you’re thinking of buying, different dogs need different types of food to thrive and grow properly. For example, larger dogs will need a considerable amount more food than a regular or small sized dog. Not only that, they may need specially formulated food to keep them strong and healthy. Before buying a dog do the research on what kind of food they will need and be sure that you’re able to provide them with it at all times.

Vacations:

Having a pet dog is fantastic, they are literally man’s best friend. However, when it comes to going on vacation it’s unlikely that you will be able to take your pooch with you (unless you’re going to a dog friendly holiday site). Have you thought about what you would do in situations like going on vacation? Or even a business trip? As mentioned earlier, if you’ve got a willing family member then that’s perfect, but if you don’t, do you have a kennel nearby and the funds to send your dog there to stay? Definitely something you will have to think about before buying a dog.

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Training:

Like children, dogs need training so that they know how to behave and act around other humans and also other dogs. There’s a lot of controversial posts in the media these days about certain breeds of dog being more aggressive than other breeds. The truth is, it’s not the dog’s fault if they are aggressive, it’s the owners who haven’t taken the time to teach them the difference between right and wrong.

Make sure that you will have the time to teach your dog how to behave so that you don’t end up with a dog that’s aggressive towards people or dogs. It’s especially important to make sure that it’s safe to have children around because of how vulnerable they are.

Don’t forget about toilet training too. Dogs need to be taught that it’s not okay to relieve themselves inside your home, and that when you take them out that’s the time for them to go. This often takes much time and patience, so make sure you have that before buying a dog.

How big will they grow:

Another thing that people don’t consider is how large their breed of dog will grow. All dogs need exercise, but some larger dogs ideally need to be taken for a walk and run about a few times a day, and if you can’t commit to that then it’s not fair on the dog because they will become unhealthy. Dogs are energetic animals and need the time to run off all of their energy at some point during each day, and for a considerable amount of time too.

You should also consider the size of your home and garden in correlation to how large your dog will grow. A cramped up space isn’t going to do any good for your dog, as mentioned above they need plenty of space to run around.

If you’re able to take all of the above points into consideration and honestly say that you have the time, patience, space and funds for a dog then you should go ahead and buy one, or even rescue one from a shelter. However, if you can’t dedicate yourself to all of the responsibilities, it might be an idea to wait until you’re at a point where you can.

Keeping our dogs healthy should be one of our main concerns when we become dog parents. The problem is, many people aren’t educated on what is OK and what isn’t OK for dogs. In this post, we’re going to talk about your dog’s health and the mistakes you really don’t want to make.

Canine Influenza

Canine influenza or Dog Flu is a type of respiratory disease in dogs that is contagious band caused by Type A influenza viruses. Canine influenza only affects dogs and so far there have not been any reported cases of canine influenza affecting human beings. There are two types of viruses that cause canine influenza: H3N8 and H3N2. Although canine influenza has not been reported to affect human populations yet, viruses change constantly and with time, it could affect human beings as well. This is why it is crucial to prevent the spread of the virus even among dogs or attempt to eradicate it all together.